Editor’s Note: In Full Bloom
“Spring is sprung, the grass is riz … I wonder where the flowers is?” I haven’t the slightest idea who first coined that catchy, um, poem — but I do know that my father repeated it enough at the beginning of every spring (followed, inevitably, by uproarious laughter at his own brilliant recalling of such a clever couplet) that I can’t help but think of it myself at the start of the season. And it was with the arrival of everything warm weather brings — including those slow-to-grow flowers — that we set about putting together this issue for you, our spring/summer bride.
As always, we wanted to create an issue chock-full of gorgeous pages filled with inspiring ideas for your own Big Day, but we also want to be the voice that helps guide you through some of the trickier aspects of planning a wedding. And so, we asked fabulous local florists (whose talents never fail to astound me) to create sweet and simple bouquets, using only their favorite warm-weather blooms — which will always cost you less than out-of-season stems — and local bakers to whip up the prettiest pastel confections you’ll ever see. We gathered striking invitations, almost all designed and made by crafty local vendors, and poked our noses into some of our favorite bridal salons to see what fun, flirty and — get this — short dresses they’re carrying for the spring/summer season. We also guide you through the registry process (who knew shopping could cause stress?) and give you tricks for dealing with a, well, tricky mother-in-law-to-be. And executive editor Emily Gagne was so kind as to share with us her sage wisdom on how to plan this thing when you’ve already got a full-time job and, you know, a life.
And Em should know. Since the summer of 2007 (and until she and Justin said their “I do’s” this past August 2nd), she’s been juggling a few weddings — hers, and all those out there we here at PW come to work for every day. And even though she’ll tell you now that it was hard to do everything, and that sometimes she didn’t know how she’d ever get it done, I am here to tell you that the beautiful results were well worth it all: the obsessing over save-the-dates (seriously — it took her four hours to pick out a 2×2-inch card), the working through lunches (so she could bust out of here in time for her after-work fittings), and the emergency trips to my office (with or without a box of Kleenex) to freak out, just one more time, about the perfect combination of ivory-shaded roses that would make up her bouquet.
Emily and Justin did an especially lovely job of putting their personal stamp on their nuptials: Check out the bridesmaids dresses, above. Em designed those! She sketched, she hunted for the perfect gold dupioni silk on Fabric Row, and she found a fabulous Philadelphia dressmaker to whip them up for her. (She also gifted her ’maids with gorgeous vintage brooches and clutches to carry, in lieu of bouquets.) And the beautiful calligraphy for all the tables was hand-painted on vintage plates by our very own assistant art director Erica Heusser in a font our bride found online. Everything about the day not only went off without a hitch — it was all so them. So congrats, Justin and Em: You’re married!
Soon, you will be, too — and we wish you the best.
Check out pictures from executive editor Emily Gagne’s wedding here!
